Your core’s primary job is to stabilize your spine. It does this using hip, pelvic, back and trunk musculature. When your spine is stabilized, it allows for more efficient movement of your legs and arms. When you jump, kick, punch,
Q. What’s the point of practising hyung (forms)?
Forms are a sequence of techniques, a pattern, practised repeatedly; they usually occur towards the start of a class. At Chang’s Hapkido Academy, each new level requires the student to memorize a new form which is then practised under the watchful eye of the
Will warming up for 10 minutes on the treadmill help me in Hapkido class?
Warming up on the treadmill definitely won’t hurt your training (unless you’re operating at maximum intensity and getting too fatigued) but it’s also not the most ideal way to warm up for a class – or for anything other than
Posture, power and performance (part one)
One word my students consistently hear me use is ‘posture’. In this two part series I want to look at how posture affects how we feel and also how we perform. Firstly let’s consider our physical performance… In Hapkido the
Q. Will wearing ankle weights improve my kicking?
About a month ago one of my white belt students asked me if he could bring ankle weights with him to class. I asked him why; he said that he wanted to improve his kicks and would practice with them
Q. Should I perform static stretches before Hapkido?
Static stretching involves reaching forward to a point of tension and holding the stretch for 30 seconds. A static stretch includes the relaxation and concurrent elongation of the stretched muscle. Stretching in this manner alters the length-tension relationship in muscles
Kibon dong ja (Basic movement)
As a white belt we learn basic stances (front, back and horse riding) and spend hours simply walking up and down the mat. I remember it being the part of the class I always hated; but now as an instructor